The Other Side
by Shinigami709
Summary: A look at Jou's abuse and how he uses it to save another. Song fic to Simle Empty Soul's "The Other Side".


The Other Side  
  
Warnings: Alcoholism, slight drug use reference, abuse, and a little shonen ai (cause I can't write Jou and Seto together without it getting a little fluffy)  
  
Notes: This one is for Delta VT. She gave me the song and left it at that. I got this done in under an hour and just let the pen go.  
  
Jou's age changes during this songfic. It will be denoted when it changes. song lyrics  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, or anything in here. The song "The Other Side" is by Smile Empty Soul. I'm just borrowing it.  
  
o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o-- o--o--o--o--o—o  
  
11 year old Jou's POV  
  
I walk into the room You don't have to scream, I can hear you. Bad trip, the needle sticks. You get your kicks from confrontation  
  
It was rather late for the young blonde, nearly midnight and the boy could hear his father screaming for him to get him some aspirin. As Jounouchi dragged himself off his bed he thought to himself, "Just get him the pills. Let him kill himself when they mix with the alcohol."  
  
For the last three years, Jou, his younger sister, and his mother ha been dealing with his father's alcoholism, but when the heroin was introduced, it caused even more verbal fights and abuse. Most of the verbal fights were directed at Jou's mother, while the physical beatings Jou endured to keep his little sister safe.  
  
I try to make it past I don't wanna get into it right now. Can't this family have one day  
  
To get away from all the pain?  
  
"Jounouchi Katsuya! If you're not in here in two minutes, you will be punished!" his father yelled.  
  
Running into the room, Jou quickly deposited the pills on the stand by his father and darted away. Back in the safety of his room, Jou began crying into his pillow. As his tears dried and his sobs subsided, he lay on his back, closed his eyes and prayed. "God, please, give me, Mom, and Shizuka just ne day to be like we were. One day without worrying about being beaten or hurt. One day without worrying about Dad."  
  
And through the night, I see the light  
  
Shining from the neighbor's windows. I dream of life where I am safe. In a home where I'm not alone.  
  
Opening his eyes, Jou watched as a pale light from the window of the next apartment came on. He lay there wondering how it felt to never have to be on guard, constantly waiting for a sign of danger.  
  
"I want to be normal. Honda's mother is so nice to me when I'm there. She treats me like I'm human. It's wonderfully different from here." Jou closed his eyes and fell into a guarded sleep.  
  
Someday I will lay me down On the grass where everything is greener. It always seems so good On the other side.  
  
No matter what anyone ever said about their family at school, Jounouchi wanted to trade places with them for one day. They didn't know what a bad home life was. To him, all the other boys and girls were the lucky ones. Their fathers loved them.  
  
18 year old Jou's POV  
  
I'm sick of all the heat. You can taste the hate in the air, Running through this family uncomfortably. It's burning me.  
  
Jou's mother had taken his sister and left. They were free. Jou had been in school when it happened, effectively leaving him to deal with his father, alone. The abuse had worsened. It seemed every other week the school had been calling to inform Jou's dad of his son's inattention to his classes. Since his father couldn't hold a job, Jou had taken on two part tie jobs to keep the apartment, buy food, and to barely exist.  
  
Many nights he got home around one in the morning, showered, did school work, catch an hour or two of sleep, then go back to school the next day and repeat the routine. The lack of sleep had been hurting Jou's grades and earning more hatred from his father.  
  
Is anybody there? In your eyes there's nothing to see. Just because your dreams died, Don't drag me down. I've still got mine.  
  
"Jounouchi, if your grades don't improve, you're going to end up a worthless bum. Not that you already aren't." His father admonished. "All you do is screw off with your friends and your whore of a boyfriend. You know, as soon as something better comes along, he'll throw you out like a piece of trash."  
  
Jou's temper flared and he yelled back, "My grades are up. I'm going to go to college and eventually become a writer. As for Seto, we're planning for the future, our future together. We want to be together after high school." Jou flashed his hand to his father, showing off a beautiful engagement ring. "He's already asked me to marry him. Just because you threw your life away, Dad, don't expect me to throw mine away." Jou turned and went to his room, locking the door behind him.  
  
And through the night, I see the light Shining from the neighbor's windows. I dream of a life where I'm safe, In a home where I'm not alone.  
  
Jou lay on his bed and waited for the neighbor's light, knowing his father didn't come in if the light was off. When the light came on, Jou held out his hand and studied his ring.  
"Seto, I can't wait till you take me away from him. I won't have to be alone anymore." Jou thought to himself, knowing in his heart, that time was a while away.  
  
Some day I will lay me down On the grass where everything is greener. It always seems so good, On the other side.  
  
That night, Jou dreamt of his future with Seto. He knew he'd be living in the mansion, waking up every day next to his blue-eyed lover, while being wrapped in strong protecting arms. To Jou, the dream was a cruel trick. He wanted nothing more than to have his dream become a reality.  
  
Twenty-five year old Jou's POV  
  
Neighbor boy runs up to me, his eyes all black and blue. I say, "What happened to you boy?" He said, "My daddy flew off the hook, cause I was playing too loud.  
  
Both Jou and Seto had finished college, Seto with a business degree and Jou with a teaching degree in English. The blonde was also writing a book. He was also writing a book to help kids who were going through what he did.  
  
Even though they had been married for three years, they had never tried using Seto's technology to have their own children. They didn't need to anyway, because all the neighborhood children had adopted Jou, then after getting to know Seto, adopted him as well.  
  
One day coming home from work, a little boy nervously approached Jou. He looked like he'd been beaten badly. Jou knelt down and asked, "Kyle, what happened? Did bullies at school do that?"  
  
The small boy shook his head. "No. My daddy did it. He said I was too loud."  
  
I guess he couldn't hear the T.V. He said, "Son, I'm a teach you a lesson." And then he...and then he..."  
  
"Too loud for what?" Jou asked, wondering how bad this really was.  
  
Near tears, the boy continued, "He yelled at me he couldn't hear his T.V. show. He threatened me, said he was going to teach me. Then he..." Kyle's tears began to fall.  
  
Ahh............ Maybe it's not so good on the other side. Maybe it's not so good on the other side. But it always looks so good...it always seems so good.  
  
Jou punched the pavement beside him, letting out a primal scream. He knew what Kyle was feeling and wanted desperately to stop it. He just didn't know how. From what Jou remembered about his own abuse, he took Kyle's hand and led him into the mansion. Finding Seto, he asked him to tend to Kyle's wounds then get him something good to eat and make him happy. Seto gave the blonde a quizzical look.  
  
"Don't worry, Just keep him safe. I need to make a few calls." Jou left Kyle with his husband. Going to Seto's office, he called an abuse line for children. He gave them what had been told to him, and then asked if he could watch over Kyle until everything was investigated. Getting permission, he went back to Seto and Kyle.  
  
"Hey Kyle...there's going to be people asking you questions and talking to your daddy. Everything's going to be okay." He hugged the small boy and gave Seto a look that said, "He's one of the lucky ones." 


End file.
